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The football club young Rhys Jones idolised supported a new legacy fun run event to celebrate the life of the Liverpool youngsteryesteday.

This week marked 10 years since 11-year-old Rhys tragically lost his life on 22 August 2007. A day the city will never forget.

Everton Football Club, which has openly supported the Jones family, is now publicly backing the inaugural Run For Rhys 5K, which took place yesterday (27 August) at Croxteth Hall and Country Park.

Rhys was shot walking home from football training in Croxteth, after innocently being caught in the cross-fire between two rival gangs.

A decade on, the Rhys Jones Community Centre CIC team are keen to create a new positive legacy event in Rhys’ name as part of the centre’s focus to raise aspirations, give hope and strengthen community unity in Croxteth.

Rhys’ parents, Mel and Steve Jones, who live in Croxteth, also supported the special day and joined participants on the start line to take part.

Everton Football Club last week staged its own special tribute to Rhys at Goodison Park, when fans participated in a minute’s applause during the 11th minute of the game when the Blues faced Hajdk Split in the Europe League play-off first leg. Images of the young football fan wearing his beloved Everton shirt appeared on the ground’s large screens during the applause.

First team defender Leighton Baines is supporting Run For Rhys, alongside Everton Football Club Ambassadors Ian Snodin, Graham Stuart and Graeme Sharp.

Everton in the Community volunteers lent a hand as well as cheering on runners. They were joined by Everton Ambassador Ian Snodin and former manager Joe Royle, who cheered on participants.

Everton Ambassador Ian Snodin commented:

“Everyone at Everton was deeply affected 10 years ago, upon hearing about the passing of Rhys Jones, and it’s a heartbreak which is still felt by the City of Liverpool. The Jones’ will always be part of the Everton family and we’d encourage all football fans to take part in the upcoming fun run. No matter of your age or ability there is a run for you to enter.

“Sport exists for us all to enjoy and, if we can use it to make a difference in the local community and honour Rhys’ memory, then that’s really special.”

As well as the 5K, there was also a 1 mile and 3K fun runs. There is no lower age restriction to encourage families to take part – walk, jog or run.

The Jones family’s heartbreaking story has recently been portrayed through the ITV drama series, Little Boy Blue.

Rhys’ parents Mel and Steve Jones also put on their running shoes to take part – the 3K distance for Mel, and the 5K for husband Steve.

Little Boy Blue actor John McGrellis also represented the Little Boy Blue cast and crew on the day, and took part in the 1 mile fun run.

A flower festival was held over 4 days in Liverpool’s Metropolitan Cathedral as part of their Golden Jubilee Anniversary Celebrations. Flower arrangements from over 20 different clubs were on display in side rooms and chapels. The event was free to attend with hundreds of people attending to see the displays.

As part of the commemoration of the 1848 revolution and freedom fight, Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky together with the Lord Mayor of Liverpool, Councillor Roz Gladden unveiled the Lajos Kossuth Plaque on 20 March 2017. Lajos Kossuth, the great Hungarian statesman on his journey across Great Britain in 1851 was greeted by members of the town council and cheered by the public in Liverpool as well. Upon the initiative of Dr Andrew Zsigmond de Lemhény, the Honorary Consul of Hungary the plaque remembers now the generosity of the city and will serve as a precious memorial for the Hungarians living in the area. The Plaque is at 17 Lord Nelson Street, where Lajos Kossuth held a public speech in front of great crowd.

Kossuth was a Hungarian journalist, lawyer, politican and governer – president of the Kingdon of Hungary during the revolution of 1848-49.

Later that day on behalf of János Áder, President of Hungary, Ambassador Kristóf Szalay-Bobrovniczky presented the Gold Cross of Merit to Ms Éva Szakály, who fled to the UK after the Second World War. Ms Éva Szakály worked selflessly in the past 70 years to spread the Hungarian culture in England, to keep the cultural heritage alive of the Hungarian community living in the UK and to organize support for those in need during the 1956 and 1898 in Hungary and in Transylvania.

Earlier in Liverpool University Square, gatherers met to campaign against an “outdated” Irish Law. Today being International Women’s Day, women in Ireland will strike to demand their right to control their bodies.

The 8th Amendment of the Irish Constitution outlaws and criminalises abortion in Ireland by considering the rights of the fetus equivalent to those of a woman. The campaigners want this repealed. They say “Women in Ireland should have access to safe, legal and affordable abortions.”

The UOL Pro-Choice Society, supports the campaign and stands in solidarity with women whose governments deny them bodily autonomy. They stand with the women of Ireland and Northern Ireland who are forced to travel abroad for a safe procedure that they should have access to at home.

An estimated 12 women cross the border from Ireland to seek abortion each day.
This event remembers the 12 women who have been forced to travel for abortion that day, and every day.

Every person who has an abortion has to take at least a day off work, whether to travel or stay at home. Use this day to stand in solidarity with them, and demand change.

Earlier inside the Walled Gardens of Greenbank Park in Liverpool, three quotes from Eleanor Rathbone were unveiled by the artist Lulu Quinn. The park was once part of the Rathbone Estate. Eleanor grew up in a house just opposite the gardens, but is now part of Liverpool University.

Eleanor Florence Rathbone (1872 – 1946) was one of the 20th century’s greatest humanitarian activists, who throughout her working life sought to improve the lives of the underrepresented in society, regardless of race, religion or gender.

As a fearless and determined feminist, suffragist, pioneering social and welfare reformer and Independent MP from 1929, she followed her conscience and the family motto, ‘what ought to be done can be done’.

Most notably, her 25 year campaign for a universal benefit to be paid to mothers succeeded with the passing of the Family Allowance Act in 1945. Less well known is her relentless campaigning on behalf of refugees in and from Fascist and Nazi occupied Europe, before and during the Second World War, which earned her the soubriquet, especially amongst the Jewish refugee community, ‘MP for refugees’.

The quotations from Eleanor Rathbone on which the artwork is based are:

“..the overmastering desire of all these poor victims is to find some place where they can be allowed to settle down, to feel at home, to live the remnant of their wrecked lives in peace and safety.” 1945

“..the struggle for the right to become politicians in itself made women politicians.” 1931

“..the whole business of begetting, bearing and rearing children is the most essential of all the nation’s businesses.” 1924

The work has been created out of Corten steel sheets. Corten is used in shipbuilding -a reference to Eleanor’s family business .It is a material that will slowly age and deepen in colour gaining an attractive coppery patina. The current state of the artwork is it in its unfinished state, and will take approx 2-4 weeks to naturally change.

Greenbank Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins said: “Eleanor Rathbone was a towering and inspirational figure and we wanted to make sure her words lived on.”

For more information on Eleanor please visit the Wikipedia link below:-